Seattle-based backyard designer Stacie Crooks creates stunning, ecologically pleasant, low-maintenance gardens all through the Pacific Northwest. Her most up-to-date article within the December 2024 concern of Superb Gardening journal tackles the challenges of integrating a vibrant, plant-focused backyard right into a cookie-cutter neighborhood developed through the post-World Struggle II constructing increase. To coincide with the publication of the article, we’re revisiting this partaking interview the place Stacie covers a number of the Most worthy insights she has gained by means of years of expertise. Anybody can use Stacie’s guidelines of thumb to make their very own out of doors areas extra welcoming and simpler to keep up.
Stacie’s Backyard Design Guidelines of Thumb
Establish your undertaking. Ask your self “What do I need to obtain?” and “Why do I need to do that?” Having a transparent purpose in mind- be it decrease upkeep, higher curb enchantment, or extra wildlife within the garden- will assist you make the appropriate design, model, and plant decisions.
Know your website. Earlier than you can also make any modifications, that you must know your limitations. Decide the backyard’s mild publicity and angles, soil varieties, drainage, topography, and dimension. Take into account irrigation (for those who want water, the place will it come from?) and entry (how will you get into the backyard and transfer by means of it?) Bearing all this in thoughts, set a price range.
Get impressed. Along with your objectives and pointers clear, it’s time for a strong plan. Individuals at all times ask, “The place do I begin?” Interact in actions that foster studying and friendships. Learn books and magazines and go to lectures. Be a part of a backyard membership. Volunteer at a public backyard. Look within the newspapers and on the web for alternatives. Take notes, make lists and make sketches. Take pictures of gardens you go to and duplicate them.
No zone denial. If you go to purchase your vegetation at your native nursery, learn the tags fastidiously. Select solely that which is suited to your website and to your way of life. If it’s not clear, ask a nursery particular person. Ensure that the quantity of care that plant wants match the time and vitality you’ll be able to afford.
End one backyard earlier than you begin one other. Resist shopping for vegetation that aren’t to your present project- they’ll simply die ready so that you can plant them. Follow the checklist.
Be accountable environmentally. All the time purpose to make use of much less water, much less fertilizer, and no chemical substances. The higher you understand your website, the better it’s to attain success naturally. There’s an significance to NOT gardening, utilizing fewer assets and fewer labor and simply having fun with your house extra.
05 Agave planted in gravel
Extra from Stacie Crooks:
